English for Medical Practice

As a future doctor, nurse, or therapist, you may have to rely on English to communicate effectively with patients and the scientific community – when treating international patients locally, practising abroad or presenting research.

This course develops the nuanced language skills that underpin patient-centred care and professional collaboration: communicating about complex and sensitive issues with clarity, care and tact to inspire patient trust and collegial respect.

Through engagement with current research, case-based discussions, video analyses, role-plays, and authentic writing tasks, you will acquire and refine the language to handle clinical situations and contribute to scholarship. Regular listening and summarising activities will expand your active medical vocabulary, and you will learn to fluently combine established frameworks for medical interviews and structure English-language encounters tailored to each patient.

This course will enhance your ability to:

  • initiate sessions with patients, take medical histories, conduct physical examinations, explain and agree on treatments, and close consultations
  • communicate with empathy across the full range of clinical situations, including breaking serious news and end-of-life conversations
  • adapt your language to the needs of diverse patients, explaining tests, diagnoses, and treatments in ways that are easy for them to understand and that enhance adherence
  • counsel patients on prevention, lifestyle, and sensitive issues such as substance abuse and misuse
  • communicate professionally with other health professionals – in case presentations, multidisciplinary ward rounds, and morbidity and mortality conferences
  • participate in the scientific community by synthesising multiple research sources in different registers and genres such as a science news article, a literature review, and a conference abstract
  • debate and discuss controversial professional and ethical issues, such as assisted dying
  • deliver a conference-style presentation and field audience questions on research related to your master’s thesis or a medical issue you find particularly interesting.

Course information

Places available
Course level
C1 - C2
Date
29.09.2026 - 15.12.2026
Tuesday, 18:15 - 19:45
24 Lessons
Lecturer
Stephan Meyer, MA
Credit points
2 ECTS
Registration deadline
Sunday 20.09.2026
Course fee
Students and PhD candidates: CHF 315.00
Members of staff: CHF 627.00
Alumni: CHF 627.00
Registration

Please note that on the following dates the course will start at 18:30 and end at 20:00:
3, 10, 17 and 24 November

Target group

Participants must already have completed at least two semesters of study in medicine, nursing, or exercise and health sciences.

Course materials

The course materials will be provided by the instructor.

Attendance

Number of absences allowed: 2

Coursework

Participants are expected to:
  • participate actively in class;
  • complete learning assessments;
  • spend 3 hours per course session on preparing and reviewing the lesson and on autonomous learning.

Credit points

To earn the credit points, students must fulfill the attendance requirement, complete the coursework, and pass the required number of assessments. The course is graded on a pass-fail basis.

Important

The Language Center’s courses and services are open to the groups of people listed under Eligibility for Admission. Students must also be matriculated::
a) You are studying at the University of Basel? Please enter your matriculation number on the registration form.
b) You are studying at another Swiss Institution of higher education or a EUCOR university? In addition to your matriculation number, please upload a valid confirmation of your matriculation with the registration form.

Please note: registrations without proof of your student status cannot be processed.

Placement test

To register for this course, you are required to demonstrate that you are on the corresponding language level in one of the following ways:

a) on the registration form, note the title and semester of a successfully completed course at the University of Basel Language Center from the last two semesters; or
b) upload an officially recognized language certificate (no older than two years) or a confirmation of a language course (no older than two semesters) during registration; or
c) take a placement test and upload a PDF or other copy of the results during registration.

You are only eligible to register for this course and acquire credit points if your level is not significantly above the course level. In borderline cases, the language head will decide on the basis of an oral examination whether participation with or without credit points is possible.

Date for rescheduled sessions

If the course instructor has to cancel one or more sessions, they will be re-scheduled for Saturday, 5 December 2026, between 10:00 and 16:00.

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